General partnership
A partnership of 2 to 20 partners, registered under the Business Names Registration Act. It is not a separate legal entity, and all partners have unlimited liability.
- Entiva fee to form
- $189
- Government fees to form
- S$115
- Run plan
- $99 a month
- Steps to form
- 4
- Ongoing filings
- 4
- Ways to close
- 3
Who it suits, and what defines it.
Governed by the Business Names Registration Act 2014; Partnership Act 1890.
Who it suits
- Partners who may be individuals, companies or limited liability partnerships (LLPs).
- Professional firms, such as lawyers, engineers and architects, can have more than 20.
Key facts
- Legal status
- Not a separate legal entity
- Liability
- Unlimited, including debts caused by other partners
- Partners
- 2 to 20, more for professional firms
- Foreign owners
- Need a corporate service provider and a local representative
- Registration
- Renewed every 1 or 3 years
- Renewal fee
- S$30 for 1 year, S$90 for 3 years
- Tax return
- Form P, due 18 April
- Statute
- Business Names Registration Act 2014; Partnership Act 1890
What the law requires.
4 rules, each in plain words.
Individual partners must be eligible
They must be 18 or over, not undischarged bankrupts, and Singapore citizens, permanent residents or eligible FIN (Foreign Identification Number) holders.
Foreign owners need a CSP and a local authorised representative
A corporate service provider (CSP) is a business registered with ACRA, the business registry, to file for others.
MediSave contributions up to date before renewal
Contributions owed to the CPF Board must be paid, or on an arrangement with it.
Renewal before the registration expires
The registration may be cancelled 60 days after it expires, and trading after expiry is an offence.
How Entiva forms it.
4 steps. Entiva prepares and files each one, and collects every signature the law needs.
The steps
4 steps- 1Reserve the business name
ACRA charges S$15 and holds an approved name for up to 120 days.
- 2Register the partnership with ACRA
Entiva files on Bizfile, ACRA's online filing service, for 1 or 3 years. It needs 2 to 20 partners. ACRA charges S$100.
- 3Set up Corppass for government services
Corppass is the entity's digital ID for ACRA, IRAS (the tax authority) and other government e-services. Apply from one day after ACRA issues the UEN, the registration number.
- 4Register for GST if needed
Goods and services tax (GST) is compulsory above S$1m taxable turnover and voluntary below it.
Documents
5- Consent from each owner, partner and representative to be registered
- Appointment letter for the authorised representative
- Beneficiary details, if a partner is a nominee or trustee
- ACRA notice of successful registration
- ACRA Business Profile
Who takes part
4- Every partner is identified and recorded, from 2 to 20
- The authorised representative lives in Singapore and acts for partners who all live abroad
- The beneficiary of a nominee or trustee partner is verified
- A company, LLP or trust partner is verified, with its directors and beneficial owners
What has to be filed, and when.
Entiva tracks every deadline from the day it is formed, and files before each one.
Every year, and as things happen
4 filings- Renew the business registration
Renewal opens 60 days before expiry; S$30 for 1 year or S$90 for 3
- File the partnership tax return (Form P)
E-filing opens 1 February; due 18 April
- File the GST return
1 month after each accounting period, if GST registered
- File employees' income records with IRAS
1 March each year, if there are employees
The changes Entiva handles.
Each change is prepared, approved, signed and filed.
The most common changes
10 changes- Appoint an owner, partner or representative
- Remove an owner, partner or representative
- Change the business name, activity or address
- Update a partner's or representative's details
- Give IRAS one month's notice that a partner leaves
- Change the principal place of business
- Update other entity details
- Correct an error in a filing
- Convert to a limited liability partnership
- Order a Business Profile or certificate
How it closes.
3 routes. The right one depends on whether it can pay its debts, and who starts it.
Cessation
The business stops. Renew the registration first if it has expired.
- 1
Cancel the GST registration
- 2
File the final GST return
- 3
Cease the business on Bizfile
Conversion to a limited liability partnership
The partners want limited liability.
- 1
Convert the partnership into an LLP
Restoration
The registration was cancelled after it expired.
- 1
Apply on Bizfile to restore the registration
What Entiva does for you.
From the first filing to the last.
General partnership
- Files the partnership registration on Bizfile for 1 or 3 years.Formation
- Renews the registration on Bizfile before it expires.Ongoing
- Files partner changes within 14 days, so no other owner has to endorse them.People
- Files Form P, the partnership tax return, with IRAS, Singapore's tax authority.Ongoing
- Files GST returns when the partnership is registered for GST.Ongoing
- Files the cessation on Bizfile once GST is cancelled and the registration is current.Closing
Build it with the API.
Every step on this page is an action in the Entiva API, with its documents, signatures and filing.
What it costs, item by item.
Every Entiva fee and every government fee, from forming it to closing it.
Forming it
$189one-off
- Government fees
- S$115
Closing it
Quoted before it starts
- Entiva fee
- Fixed, quoted first
- Government fees
- At cost
Included in the Run plan
- Renew the business registration
- File the partnership tax return (Form P)
- File the GST return
- File employees' income records with IRAS
- Routine changes
- Every deadline tracked
Extra, at a fixed fee
- Register for GST if needed
- Convert to a limited liability partnership
Each extra is quoted before it starts, and nothing is done until you approve it.
Forming it
Entiva's formation fee is $189, one-off. Government fees are passed through at cost.
S$15 for every entity type, including VCCs.
Late registration risks a fine of up to S$10,000 plus a 10% penalty on GST due, with registration backdated.
Excludes steps marked only if needed.
Every year
The Run plan costs $99 a month ($1,188 a year).
S$30 for 1 year, S$90 for 3 years, non-refundable.
Changes
Routine changes are included in the Run plan.
ACRA states no fee for General Lodgement for companies; the quote assumes S$0.
S$60 for clerical, typographical and other errors. Revised financial statements cost S$200 and use a different process.
Add S$15 for the LLP name application.
Closing it
Closing is a fixed-fee project, quoted before it starts.
Add S$15 for the LLP name application.
S$0 for restoration.
Entiva fees are in US dollars. Government fees are in the currency each authority charges, passed through at cost when the filing is made. Taxes are separate.
Start with your first company.
We are onboarding a small group of founders and finance teams with entities in more than one country.